NASA Large Images Feed

Charon in Enhanced Color

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:46:00 +0000

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Charon just before closest approach on July 14, 2015. The image combines blue, red and infrared images taken by the spacecraft’s Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera (MVIC); the colors are processed to best highlight the variation of surface properties.

A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity.

Dark, Recurring Streaks on Walls of Garni Crater on Mars

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:45:00 +0000

Dark narrow streaks, called "recurring slope lineae," emanate from the walls of Garni Crater on Mars, in this view constructed from observations by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Supermoon Eclipse in Washington

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 04:50:00 +0000

A perigee full moon, or supermoon, is seen behind the Washington Monument during a total lunar eclipse on Sunday, September 27, 2015, in Washington, DC. The combination of a supermoon and total lunar eclipse last occurred in 1982 and will not happen again until 2033.

Supermoon Eclipse in New York City

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 02:47:00 +0000

A perigee full moon, or supermoon, is seen next to the Empire State Building at the beginning of a total lunar eclipse, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 in New York City. The combination of a supermoon and total lunar eclipse last occurred in 1982 and will not happen again until 2033.

The Nile at Night

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 14:41:00 +0000

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, recently past the halfway mark of his one-year mission to the International Space Station, photographed the Nile River during a nighttime flyover on Sept. 22, 2015. Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) wrote, "Day 179. The #Nile at night is a beautiful sight for these sore eyes. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace."

Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:26:00 +0000

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago.

Supersonic Shock Waves of a T-38C Aircraft

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:58:00 +0000

This schlieren image of a T-38C aircraft was captured using the patent-pending BOSCO technique and then processed with NASA-developed code to reveal shock wave structures. Researchers at Armstrong and NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, have developed new schlieren techniques based on modern image processing methods.

Moons In Hiding

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:12:00 +0000

Prometheus and Pandora are almost hidden in Saturn's rings in this image.

Great Exuma Island, Bahamas

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 14:25:00 +0000

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of small island cays in the Bahamas and the prominent tidal channels cutting between them. For astronauts, this is one of the most recognizable points on the planet.

Clear Skies Over the United States

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 13:42:00 +0000

On Sept. 17, 2015, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly captured images and video from the International Space Station during an early morning flyover of the United States. Sharing with his social media followers, Kelly wrote, "Clear skies over much of the USA today. #GoodMorning from @Space_Station! #YearInSpace."

Pluto’s Majestic Mountains, Frozen Plains and Foggy Hazes

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 14:38:00 +0000

Just 15 minutes after its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft looked back toward the sun and captured this near-sunset view of the rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to Pluto’s horizon.

First Weld of Orion Exploration Mission-1 Crew Module

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 15:09:00 +0000

Lockheed Martin engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, perform the first weld on the Orion spacecraft pressure vessel for Exploration Mission-1 on Sept. 5, 2015. This is the third pressure Orion pressure vessel built.

3,000th Comet Spotted by Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 14:38:00 +0000

On Sept. 13, 2015, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory – a joint project of the European Space Agency and NASA -- discovered its 3,000th comet, cementing its standing as the greatest comet finder of all time. Prior to the 1995 launch of the observatory, commonly known as SOHO, only a dozen or so comets had ever even been discovered from space.

Good Morning From the International Space Station

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:34:00 +0000

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly shared this photograph on social media, taken from the International Space Station on Sept. 10, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#GoodMorning Texas! Great view of you, the #moon , and #Venus this morning. #YearInSpace"

Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 12:42:00 +0000

The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower.

Methane Painting

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 09:00:00 +0000

Why does Saturn look like it's been painted with a dark brush in this infrared image, but Dione looks untouched?

Dawn Takes a Closer Look at Occator

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 13:30:00 +0000

This image, made using images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, shows Occator crater on Ceres, home to a collection of intriguing bright spots.

International Space Station Transits the Sun

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 12:17:00 +0000

This composite image made from five frames shows the International Space Station, with a crew of nine onboard, in silhouette as it transits the sun at roughly 5 miles per second, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015.

Hubble Peers into the Heart of a Galactic Maelstrom

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 12:16:00 +0000

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows Messier 96, a spiral galaxy just over 35 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (The Lion). It is the nearest group containing both bright spirals and a bright elliptical galaxy (Messier 105).

Sept. 3, 1976: Viking 2 Lands on Mars

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 13:37:00 +0000

This rocky panoramic scene is the second picture of the Martian surface that was taken by Viking Lander 2 shortly after touchdown on Sept. 3, 1976 at 3:58 p.m. PDT (Earth received time).

Rocks Here Sequester Some of Mars' Early Atmosphere

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:35:00 +0000

This view combines information from two instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to map color-coded composition over the shape of the ground in a small portion of the Nili Fossae plains region of Mars' northern hemisphere.

Good Night From Space

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 15:57:00 +0000

Earth's thin atmosphere stands out against the blackness of space in this photo taken on Aug. 31, 2015 by astronaut Scott Kelly on board the International Space Station.

Western Wildfire Smoke Has Drifted Over the Atlantic

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Smoke from the treacherous western wildfires has wafted across country and out to sea.

Signs of Katrina Linger in the Marshes

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 12:50:00 +0000

Ten years after making landfall, scars from Hurricane Katrina still linger.

Astronaut Kjell Lindgren Corrals the Supply of Fresh Fruit

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 13:57:00 +0000

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren corrals the supply of fresh fruit that arrived on the Kounotori 5 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-5.)

Stark Beauty of Supersonic Shock Waves

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 13:48:00 +0000

Updating a 150-year-old German photography technique, NASA and the U.S. Air Force released what's called a "schlieren" image of the shock wave from a supersonic aircraft.

The Lonely Mountain

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:22:00 +0000

NASA's Dawn spacecraft spotted this tall, conical mountain on Ceres from a distance of 915 miles (1,470 kilometers).

Sea Ice in the Greenland Sea

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:57:00 +0000

As the northern hemisphere experiences the heat of summer, ice moves and melts in the Arctic waters and the far northern lands surrounding it. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of sea ice off Greenland on July 16, 2015.

A Hubble Cosmic Couple

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 13:04:00 +0000

Here we see the spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 — more commonly known as WR 124 — and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it.

Curiosity Low-Angle Self-Portrait at 'Buckskin' Drilling Site on Mount Sharp

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 14:50:00 +0000

This low-angle self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle above the "Buckskin" rock target, where the mission collected its seventh drilled sample.

Testing on Deck

Wed, 19 Aug 2015 18:31:00 +0000

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated August 19 as National Aviation Day in honor of Orville Wright’s birthday, directing citizens to celebrate the day with activities that encourage an interest and appreciation for aviation. NASA's heritage in aviation research goes back more than 100 years.

Aurora's Colorful Veil Over Earth

Tue, 18 Aug 2015 14:27:00 +0000

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly shared this photograph on social media, taken from the International Space Station on August 15, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#Aurora trailing a colorful veil over Earth this morning. Good morning from @space_station! #YearInSpace"

Chasms on Dione

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 14:25:00 +0000

While not bursting with activity like its sister satellite Enceladus, the surface of Dione is definitely not boring.

Hubble Sees a "Mess of Stars"

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:37:00 +0000

Bursts of pink and red, dark lanes of mottled cosmic dust, and a bright scattering of stars — this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows part of a messy barred spiral galaxy known as NGC 428.

Welding Preparations For Orion Spacecraft at Michoud Assembly Facility

Thu, 13 Aug 2015 14:47:00 +0000

At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, engineers are welding together the Orion crew module pathfinder in preparation for the welding process set to begin later this summer on the Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1. This pathfinder, including the barrel section shown here, is a full-scale version of the current spacecraft design.

For Anniversary of Orbiter's Launch: Seasonal Flows in Mars' Valles Marineris

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 15:51:00 +0000

Among the many discoveries by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter since the mission was launched on Aug. 12, 2005, are seasonal flows on some steep slopes.

Good Morning From the International Space Station

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:14:00 +0000

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly took this photograph of a sunrise over the western United States and posted it to social media on Aug. 10, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#GoodMorning to those in the western #USA. Looks like there's a lot going on down there. #YearInSpace"

Darkness Descending

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:27:00 +0000

Saturn’s unusual appearance in this picture is a result of the planet being imaged via an infrared filter.

Hubble Finds a Little Gem

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 12:43:00 +0000

This colorful bubble is a planetary nebula called NGC 6818, also known as the Little Gem Nebula. The rich glow of the cloud is just over half a light-year across — humongous compared to its tiny central star — but still a little gem on a cosmic scale.

Stormy Seas in Sagittarius

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:55:00 +0000

This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the center of the Lagoon Nebula, an object with a deceptively tranquil name, in the constellation of Sagittarius. The region is filled with intense winds from hot stars, churning funnels of gas, and energetic star formation, all embedded within an intricate haze of gas and pitch-dark dust.

Testing Hardware for Growing Plants and Vegetables in Space

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:35:00 +0000

Astronauts on the International Space Station continue testing the VEGGIE hardware for growing vegetables and plants in space. VEGGIE provides lighting and nutrient supply for plants in the form of a low-cost growth chamber and planting "pillows" -- helping provide nutrients for the root system.

Algae Bloom in Lake St. Clair

Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:07:00 +0000

On July 28, 2015, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite captured images of algal blooms around the Great Lakes, visible as swirls of green in this image of Lake St. Clair and in western Lake Erie.

Space Station Lunar Transit

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 13:28:00 +0000

The International Space Station, with a crew of six onboard, is seen in silhouette as it transits the moon at roughly five miles per second, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015, Woodford, VA.

Blue Moon Over Washington

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 12:37:00 +0000

A second full moon for the month of July is seen next to the dome of the U.S. Capitol on Friday, July 31, 2015 in Washington.

NEEMO Undersea Crew Tests Tools and Techniques For Future Spacewalks

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:01:00 +0000

This photograph of NASA astronaut Serena Aunon (@AstroSerena) moving tools and equipment underwater was taken during the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 20 mission. NEEMO 20 is focusing on evaluating tools and techniques being tested for future spacewalks on a variety of surfaces and gravity levels.

Frosty Gullies on the Northern Plains of Mars

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 14:24:00 +0000

Seasonal frost commonly forms at middle and high latitudes on Mars, much like winter snow on Earth. However, on Mars most frost is carbon dioxide (dry ice) rather than water ice. This frost appears to cause surface activity, including flows in gullies.

Africa and Europe from a Million Miles Away

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:21:00 +0000

Africa is front and center in this image of Earth taken by a NASA camera on the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite.

Round of Testing Completed on Webb Telescope Flight Mirrors

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:33:00 +0000

This July 11, 2015 photograph captures one of the final, if not the final, James Webb Space Telescope flight primary mirror segments to be processed through NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Calibration, Integration and Alignment Facility (CIAF).

Activity at Klyuchevskoy Volcano

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:36:00 +0000

This photograph, taken on May 4, 2015 by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station, highlights one of the most active volcanic regions on Earth: the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. The three largest volcanoes visible at image center include Kliuchevskoy, Bezymianny, and Ushkovsky.

Pluto Dazzles in False Color

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 18:04:00 +0000

Four images from New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with color data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced color global view of Pluto.

July 23, 1999, Chandra X-ray Observatory Awaits Deployment

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 15:52:00 +0000

This 70mm frame shows the 50,162-pound Chandra X-ray Observatory before it was tilted upward for its release from the Space Shuttle Columbia's payload bay on July 23, 1999, just a few hours following the shuttle's arrival in Earth orbit. Chandra was spring-ejected from a cradle in the payload bay at 6:47 a.m. Central time.

Soyuz Rocket Boosts Expedition 44 Crew to the International Space Station

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 21:30:00 +0000

The Soyuz TMA-17M launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 5:02 p.m. EDT (3:02 a.m. on July 23 Baikonur time).

Smoke Over the Greenland Sea

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:36:00 +0000

The 2015 wildfire season in the Arctic has been very intense – and very smoky. As of July 15, over 3,190,000 acres had burned across Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), more than 600 fires had burned millions of acres in Alaska as of July 7.

NASA’s New Horizons Finds Second Mountain Range in Pluto’s ‘Heart’

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 13:25:00 +0000

Pluto’s icy mountains have company. NASA’s New Horizons mission has discovered a new, apparently less lofty mountain range on the lower-left edge of Pluto’s best known feature.

NASA Captures "EPIC" Earth Image

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:45:00 +0000

A NASA camera on the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite has returned its first view of the entire sunlit side of Earth from one million miles away.

Frozen Carbon Monoxide in Pluto’s 'Heart'

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 16:56:00 +0000

Peering closely at the “heart of Pluto,” in the western half of what mission scientists have informally named Tombaugh Regio (Tombaugh Region), New Horizons’ Ralph instrument revealed evidence of carbon monoxide ice. The contours indicate that the concentration of frozen carbon monoxide increases towards the center of the “bull’s eye.”

STEREO-A Spacecraft Returns Data From the Far Side of the Sun

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 15:37:00 +0000

This image of the sun was taken on July 15, 2015, with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager onboard NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory Ahead (STEREO-A) spacecraft, which collects images in several wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye. This image shows the sun in wavelengths of 171 angstroms, typically colorized in blue.

The Icy Mountains of Pluto

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 19:25:00 +0000

New close-up images of a region near Pluto’s equator reveal a giant surprise: a range of youthful mountains.

NASA Celebrates New Horizons' Closest Approach to Pluto

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 15:20:00 +0000

Guests and New Horizons team members countdown to the spacecraft's closest approach to Pluto, Tuesday, July 14, 2015.